Do The Math
is the name of it and it is about the climate changes and what we could do about it. The video changed my perspective on the subject. Before watching this I understood that our climate and civilization was facing
a complexity of pollution problems
and that it was all so complex that I couldn't find my way through it. After watching this I can say for the first time in my life
This is simple
Yes we are facing a complexity of pollution problems on this planet, but we have one problem that clearly rises above all the others. The continued rise in the outlet of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere of the earth.
This problem is, according to the math presented in the video, going to kill most life on this planet within our own lifetime or our children's lifetime if we don't make a change.
The second thing I understood from watching this video was.
It is not impossible to stop this.
Before watching this I had somehow come to the conclusion that all the dependencies and interest and desires between the individuals on this planet would interact in such a way that it would be impossible to make any change. That this situation could be compared to sitting in an airplane that would
simply crash
if it ran out of gas.
After watching this I think that it would probably be
inconvenient
for our civilization to change direction but it is by no means
impossible
After watching this I think that the use of fossil fuel is not a
necessity
Rather that it is
just a terribly bad habit
Just like smoking..
One could stop smoking.
For some it might feel like the end of life but it's probably not going to be the end of life. Actually the changes are big that it is more likely going to improve life circumstances on most levels.
Technically it's not difficult to stop smoking.
You just stop.
If we could make every institution and every nation on this planet accept that oil and gas and coal and other fossil fuels are not the future energy forms, and that therefore no further investment should be made into these fields whatsoever, we could facilitate the change.
So using the metaphor of sitting in an aeroplane we could say that we will have enough fuel to bring us safely to the destination airport, but from there on we will have to find another way of transporting us. Not because there is no more fuel left in the world but because we decided that fossil fuel is no longer an option. In that way it's no different from the person who wants to quit smoking.
You don't stop smoking because there are no more cigarettes left in the world. You stop smoking because you don't want to smoke anymore.
After watching this video I have come to believe that we can change this without our society collapsing.
Come on let's do it.
Let's save the world.
PS. We don't want to solve this with nuclear power either. It is too dangerous.
Do The Math - English subtitles from 350.org on Vimeo.
http://gofossilfree.org/
